Speed reducer



Allg. 30, 1960 A G. BABE 2,950,628

SPEED REDUCER Original Filed Aug. 7, 1957 2 Sheets-Shea*l 1 f-f -f 2 www 3 1 i f2; l b l 45 INVENTOR.

v QuMwf-Y @j jl/orne@ Aug. 3o, 1960 A. G. ADE 2,950,628

SPEED REDUCER Original Filed Aug. 7, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 n 4 I M/ENTOR.

i9" Alfred @.BADE

45 MVM United States Patenti 2,950,628' SPEED REDUCER Alfred G. Bade, Brookfield, Wis., assigner t o The Corporation, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Wlscousin Continuation of abandoned application Ser. No. 676,842, Aug. 7, 1957. This application Dec. 22, 1958, Ser. No. l 782,327 Y Y s Claims. (cl. 744121) ducer of theflange mounting type which adopts similarv gear/.reduction principles shown in my prior U.S.\Patent No. 2,762,232, dated September 11, 1956, and whereby the reduction gearing of this general type may be xedly mounted on a frame Wall or other lixture in a position for `engagement of its output shaft with the input 'shaft of the mechanism to be driven by the incorporation therewith ofran adapter which provides a angevmounting for the unit and a means for sustaining theV gear carrying members of the unit against rotation about the shaft of the mechanism to be driven.

A further object is to Aprovidea reduction gearing of the. type abovedescribed having a `ilanged mounting `adapter associated therewith and providing an additional mounting for the output shaft with an increased bearing vspan to increase bearing capacity to better sustain the l over-hung loads.

@Another object of the invention is to provide a speed reducer constructed to facilitate assembly of the ygears and shafts therein and insure alignment of the supports for the shafts.

Another object of the invention is to provide a speed reducer .which will permit ready'inspection of ,the operating parts for accuracy and wear.

A` further object of the inventionV is to provide' a gear reducer ofthe type above described in which the' adapter forms a `housing lsection cooperating withone ofV the shaft carrying ,panels and a'front' cover; section to form a reservoir to receivloil forilubricating the gearsland shaft bearings.

The inventionfurther consists in the several-features hereinafter described andrmore particularly defined by i the appended claims. i

In the drawings; Y v "s vFigil is arear elevationview of a speed reducer ernbodying the invention; Y

the broken line 2 2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a detailed vertical sectional View line 3 3 of Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is a detailed vertical sectional view taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, the speed reducer includes a shaft supporting frame formed by a pair of spaced metal bearing carrying panel members 5 and 6 extending parallel to each other, these members being bolted or otherwise releasably secured together, for example, by laterally disposed lugs welded to member 5, on the outer faces of which the member 6 is seated and secured by bolts, Fig. 4 showing one of the lugs 7 and a securing bolt S,

taken on the v these members being suitably aligned with each other by dowels in a manner similar to similar panels of the t. .55 Fig. 2 is a detailed vertical vsectional view "taken on `end ofshaft rice aforementionedpatent. The panel; members 5 and 6 may be of circular form, the larger panel 5 being the main panel member and the panel 6 an auxiliary member.

Panel members 5 'and 6 are provided with aligned bearings 9 and 10 for a shaft 11 and aligned bearings 13 and 14 for a power input shaft 1'5. Panel. 6 has a bearing 16 to receive theouter end` of; a powerv output shaft 17 which is preferably -of hollow form :to receive the. projecting end of the input shaftk 18 of the mechanism to be driven, the shaft 17 ,being adapted tojbe keyed or other wise attached to the .shaft 18 ,to drive the same.v Shaft 18 is shown as provided Withfagear 19 for connection with other parts of ,the mechanism tolbedriven. ,'All the shafts 11, 15 vand 17 are. disposed parallel to each other,`the shafts 11 and 415v having their axes radially dis# posedrelative to -theaxisjof shaftr17, f y

The shaft Il has a gear20v formedinte'grally thereon and disposed directly betweenthe bearings 9 and 10, and providing,shouldersll and 2,2to receive the kinner races of said bearings and ataperedouter end 23 carrying a gear ,24.detachab1yiixed toit by a `key K and a clamp# ing nut 25, said gear 20 being immediately adjacent panel 5 and meshing with a larger gear 17asuitably mounted o n the-shaft 17 immediately ,adjacent the, bearing 16. The shaft 15 has a projectingouterend.27 formed to receive` a drive element, such as ;a pulley or the-like, extends through bearings 13 and 14,,and.isfformed at its inner end for keyed connection `with al small gear'or pinion 28 meshing with the gear 241and-disposed closely ad.- jacent the bearing 13.

An `adapter 29 iis in -the form ofi-,a housing `section formed of fabricated metalparts welded; together to provide a shaft supporting `rear auxiliary panel-porton 30, sides 31 and an annularly flanged front pad32 adapted -to receive bolts 33 by which Athefreduction unitmay be secured lto supporting members 34 indicated in dotted lines in` Fig-.I 1' and arrangedin iixed'relation withthe shaft 18-to be driven, it being understoodthat the flanged rear panel portion.;30,mayb,e seuredzztogany suitable iixed support 34with which,theshaftfltpf the mechanism toebe'drivenvis associated. 3., 'As shown in-Figa@ shaft supporting panel portion 30 has an opening 35 -,and-a2bearing ringis'upport .36 welded thereto withdtsyinnertsurface 37pconcentric with lopening 35 `and-also concentric-with:an-opening 38 in panel I5 and abearing ,receiving-:bore39A infpanel` 6so that bythe in.sertion-,of a suitable mandrel :through these bores, the panel portion 30 is aligned-parallehto the panelsS and-6 and flanged facegZ/can lbe.' brought' in abutting relation with;` the.,outer' portionoff the: panel 5 Mand holes,` such as holes Alleud 41; bored-through these ,abuttingparts to receive bolts 42:and;;dowels;t:43, asin- A sheet metal stamping forms a front cover 45 which is provided with flanged openings 46 and 47 to receive suitable ring oil seals 48 and 49, and the opening 35 has a similar seal 50 for the inner end of shaft 17, the -cover having a base flange '51 adapted to be clamped in position against the outer peripheral front face of the panel 5 by the bolts 4Z and be aligned therewith by the dowels 43, there being sheet ring seals 52 and -53 interposed between the panel 5 and the ilanges of the sections ,45 and 29, thus forming'an oil retainer reservoir whichv may be supplied with lubricating oil through any suitable openmg, as for example, an opening 54 provided with a removable sealing plug 55.

With the above construction, power applied to shaft 15 to rotate the same is transmitted by the small gear 28 to the larger gear 24 on shaft 11 and from the smaller f e Y Y 2,950,628 Y 4 Y fgear 20 to the larger gear 17a onrshaft 17 to provide the desired speed reduction between the shafts and 17 and consequently the shaft 18 to be driven.

As the housing section or adapter 29 is fixed'to a fixed support adjacent the'shaft to be drivenand to the panel 5, it provides means for'sustainingth'e gear carrying members of the unit againstl rotation about the shaft of the mechanism to be driven, and it also provides a support for the Vbearing 44 for the shaft 17 and thereby cooperates with the bearing 16 to provide an' increased bearing span for the shaft 17 and therefore an increased capacity for this shaft to sustain Vthebearing. loads imposed upon it by the gearing or external loads that may be imposed upon it by the mechanism to be driven. It also cooperates with the panel member 5 and cover 45 to form an oil reservoir 56.

In all prior speed reducer mechanisms, including the shaft supported reducer of thenaforementioned Patent No. 2,762,232, the bearing span for theroutput shaft is no greater than that for the other shafts. In the present device, since the support panel`30 is 'spaced from the main panelV 5 andthe auxiliary `panel 6 vis spaced from the panel 5 andthe bearings 16 and 44 for the output shaft 17 are mounted on the panels 30 and 6,V the widely spaced bearings forthe output shaft are spaced independent of the main panel 5 and actfto isolate exterior thrustloads and radial loads from the .center section which might in- Vjects through the front faceofV the unit so that its outer end is readily accessible totheuser in case a coupling Y puller is necessary rand so that theY user can sight down parts except in so far as such limitations are included in uence the gear teeth vandbearing alignment due tovde- I flection of the case and'shafting. Y

The placement ofthe bearing 44 on the panel 30,

axially spaced from the panel Sfor additional support' provides particular benefit when tapered bearings are used.A It is well known that these bearingsr offer higher capacity compared 4to ball bearings and provide considerable savings invspace. However, the inclined axial plane of the bearings subject the supporting shaft to cantilever load in the caserofshaft hung or-Vs'upported speed reducers, and the resultant load on the bearings resolves itself into an induced outward thrusty tending to bulge or displace the panel members, Vwhich in turn introduces radial clearance between the kshaft and bearings. Positionng of the bearing on the rpanel Vthereby'reduces the tendency'to bulge andprovides a relatively tight operating ht between the shaft and'bearings. Thus, the

three walled or panelled -unit introduces additional capacity when compared to a twopanel'runit-'which is necessarily limited to anY overhung load'.

The present arrangementpermits Achain drive-operation Y and feed' screw'operatiomboth of which introduceconsiderable torque load components in the Vshaftatta'ched thereto. 2 The present invention provides adequate support in such instances. f

, Removal of bolts 42 permits yremoval of the coverr''S and also permits a withdrawalofthev front Vpart'V ofl the unit relative Vto the fixed section'29 to inspect the norrnally housed,V gears, the shaft 17 ,being slidably removable with the inner'raceof ibearing 44 for"V inspection .of the condition of theV gears.V n Y The large main panel 5 and the smallerauxiliary panel 6,7while here shown as formed of steelplates 'and fabrithe appended claims.

I claim: 5 5

l. In a speed reducerarrangedV for connection with the drive shaft of aV machine to be driven and havingY a fixed Support adjacent said drive shaft, the combinationV of an open frame construction comprising three laterally spaced rigidly interconnected shaft supporting panel members including a main panel member vand first land second auxiliary panel members .spaced at opposite sides thereof, a pluralityV of shaftsV journaled in said frame, gearing interconnecting said shafts, one of said shafts being a power input shaft, bearings for said input shaft mounted in said main and said first auxiliary panel members, said second auxiliary panel member'a'rranged for rigid connection to said fixed support, another of said shafts being a power output shaft having a drive element mounted thereon and extending through said second auxiliarypanel member, said main panelfdening an aperture having its defining marginV spaced from said output shaft, and bearings for said output shaft axially spaced from one another and respectively supported by said first Vand said second auxiliary panel members.

2. The speed reducer as defined in claim 1, Vwherein a lubricant housing is secured to one side of said main panel member and forms an enclosure for said first auxiliary panel member and the parts associated therewith and providing openings for receiving a respective projecting portion of said power input and said power output Shaft,

and a support and oil retainer'housing intermediatev of'r References Cited in the filepof Vthispatent UNITEDSTATES PATENTS Y 2,504,066 christian ;Aprf 11, 195o 2,762,232 YBade nr-..-.r.- sept. 11,1956 2,301,548 Bade Aug. 6, 1957 2,813,435

Schumb A. Nov. 19, 1957'V 

